The Warriors have made back-to-back NBA Finals in 2015 and 2016, winning one and losing in historic, heartbreaking fashion in the other, and are the heavy favorites to make it three Finals in a row and avenge last season’s loss this year. Golden State has made this incredible run due in large part to the play of Steph Curry, he of back-to-back MVP award-winning seasons.
Curry’s fantastic play of the last five years makes it hard to remember that there was a time when many doubted whether the superstar guard could make it through the physical rigors of an NBA season. Curry battled ankle issues — both severe and mild — during his first three years in the league, which ended up helping the Warriors significantly, as they were able to ink him to a 4-year, $44 million extension because of durability issues.
Curry’s ankles have held up for the most part since then — he did have some issues in the playoffs last year — and the narrative about his career has changed dramatically since the 2011-12 season, when he played only 26 games due to ankle injuries and had to be shut down for the season.
Golden State’s coach that season was Mark Jackson, who was with the Warriors from 2011-2014 after leaving the ESPN broadcasting booth to take over the up-and-coming Warriors. Jackson also served as co-pastor at True Love Worship Center International in Van Nuys with his wife, Desiree, while he coached the Warriors.
After Curry had surgery to clean out debris in his ankle, Jackson invited Curry to come to a service at his church.
Curry agreed, and in an excerpt of Marcus Thompson’s upcoming book Golden: The Miraculous Rise of Steph Curry from Sports Illustrated, at that service Curry was called to the front of the church by Jackson’s wife where his ankle was anointed with oil.
They took off his shoes and socks, anointed his ankle with oil and prayed for healing. The parishioners lifted their voices in chants and amens, calling on God to bless one of His Christian ambassadors. Service at Jackson’s church was much more passionate and engaging than Curry was used to back in Charlotte. But he humbly accepted the blessing that was being offered and returned to his seat with a smile on his face.
“Where you going?” Desiree asked the star point guard in front of the congregation. Curry responded with his go-to look of bewilderment, a half smile and widened eyes. He thought he was supposed to return back among the flock when she was done.
It took Curry a second to understand what she meant. Then the old Bible stories rushed to his mind. Like when Jesus healed the lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, that man had to pick up his mat and walk. If he believed he was healed, he needed to show it.
So Curry started shimmying and hopping on his right foot, much to the delight of the congregation.
“I didn’t know what else to do,” Curry said.
It’s a pretty incredible story, and while it seems like by now we’d have heard of it all when it comes to sports stories, this is certainly a new one. An NBA star had his ankle blessed in a church by his coach’s wife. It seems to have worked, as Curry’s played in at least 78 games in every season since then.
